Sunday, April 14, 2013

Hi everyone, today´s recipe is a very popular Mexican dish, Chicken Tinga or Tinga de pollo is a chicken stew, slowly cooked in a Chipotle and tomato Sauce. It´s also a very versatile dish, it can be serve in different ways from tostatadas, tacos, flautas, or simple with some white rice or a creamy spaghetti or pasta. Either way this dish will satisfy your cravings for Mexican food. It´s really easy to make, so simple and yet so delicious! Enjoy

Serve 6-8Ingredients:

1 Chicken cut in pieces

3 cups of Hot-dog links cut into small pieces (or 3 cups of Deli-Cuts cut in small pieces)

5-6 slices of Bacon cut into small pieces

1 large Onion cut in thin slices

2 Garlic cloves finely chopped

1 whole Garlic clove

1 Bay leave

10 ounces of chorizo

1 10oz can of chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce

5-6 large Roma Tomatoes

1/4 small onion

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Bring enough water to cover the whole chicken to a boil. Season the water with plenty of salt, 1 Bay leave, 1 garlic clove and a 1/4 of a small onion. Cook the chicken in this water for about 1 hour or until completely cooked. Once the chicken is cooked, drain it, and let it cool. Then shred it and set it aside until ready to use.

Cook the tomatoes in boiling water for about 5-6 minutes or until soft. (you can cook them in the same water with the chicken if you want to.) Once they are soft, put them in the blender, with 1 cup of the chicken broth (the water where you cooked the chicken), and also add in the chipotle peppers, you can add as many chipotle peppers as you like. This is supposed to be a spicy dish, but the spiciness of it, depends on you, so you can add the whole can of chipotle peppers or just a couple of them, either way it will be delicious. Blend everything together on high for about 5 minutes or until you get a soft sauce. Taste the flavor and add salt and pepper if needed.

Now in a large sauce pan on low heat, preheat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, cook the onions for about 10 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, you want the onions to become caramelized, to get nice and soft and a brownish kind of color without burning them. Remember to cook them on low heat.

Once the onions have caramelized, add in the bacon and also add in the hot dog links or the deli cuts, continue to Cook everything on low heat for another 5-8 more minutes or until the bacon browns a little bit. Then add in the Chorizo, stir everything together, make sure to break down the Chorizo
really well, and continue to cook on low heat for another 10 more minutes to cook the Chorizo.

Once the Chorizo is cooked, add in the shredded chicken, stir together, to make sure the chicken is well incorporated with the rest of the ingredients, then add in the tomato-chipotle sauce, stir together again, taste the flavor and add more salt and pepper if needed. Continue to cook on low heat for another 10 more minutes or until it comes to a boil.

Once it comes to a boil, you are ready to serve. Serve it as you please, this makes great tostadas, tacos, flautas and even a great sandwich!